tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-135832792017-12-10T20:06:45.645-07:00Eric Swanson"Blogger" n. Someone with nothing to say writing for someone with nothing to do. This is the blog of Eric Swanson containing the developing thoughts and reflections on the externally focused church, the kingdom of God and what I see God doing in the world, in my life and the life of my family and friends. I also occassionally throw in a little commentary on good restaurants I like along with a few pictures.Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.comBlogger513125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-91928267587730807832010-10-18T09:12:00.000-06:002010-10-18T09:12:42.120-06:00Innovation in Mission: Redefining Experts<a href="http://innovationinmission.blogspot.com/2010/10/redefining-experts.html">Innovation in Mission: Redefining Experts</a>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-70636863823129626462008-08-10T13:55:00.006-06:002008-08-10T14:05:35.642-06:00Final Post on Blogger--I'm Moving!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7PSunauMqew/SJ9JC8euIFI/AAAAAAAABGo/lg2KQIy6S90/s1600-h/IMG_9935.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232981606971351122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 215px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 155px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7PSunauMqew/SJ9JC8euIFI/AAAAAAAABGo/lg2KQIy6S90/s320/IMG_9935.jpg" border="0" /></a>At the urging and help of my good friend, Jay Lorenzen, I am moving my blog to www.ericjswanson.com (<a href="http://ericjswanson.com/">http://ericjswanson.com/</a>)--my first name, middle initial and last name). As complex as this new site is (I'm climbing the learning curve), it will allow me to store /share more content and has a bit more flexibility than blogger. Jay did a great job moving all my blogger content over to new site. Thanks to all of you have accounted for nearly 50,000 visits over the past three years. I hope to come up with / link to valuable things that will help you on your journey. God bless you!Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-48854309044838634362008-07-31T20:49:00.003-06:002008-07-31T20:58:35.648-06:00Birthday dinner at Efrain's<div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SJJ6NJEk8OI/AAAAAAAABGQ/GMJzex_PE5w/s1600-h/IMG_9898.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229376483522572514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SJJ6NJEk8OI/AAAAAAAABGQ/GMJzex_PE5w/s320/IMG_9898.jpg" border="0" /></a> Nothing like a birthday dinner at Efrain's--undisputably the best Mexican restaurant on the planet with only possible contenders being from other planets or galexies! And of course, it's just not a birthday dinner without the Lambs and Wilcoxes.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>We had dinner in the library where we've brought our treasures and souvenirs over the years--including one of three bound copies of my doctoral dissertation--where the odds drastically increase that someone will read it. I think we're safe on that one since over a year ago I put a crisp $20 bill within, and after checking tonight...yep it is still there!<br /><br /></div><br /><div><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SJJ6YPH6u4I/AAAAAAAABGY/f0OWWNMnKQg/s1600-h/IMG_9900.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229376674125757314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SJJ6YPH6u4I/AAAAAAAABGY/f0OWWNMnKQg/s320/IMG_9900.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SJJ7woD76oI/AAAAAAAABGg/m3BFXH4XG98/s1600-h/IMG_9899.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229378192648432258" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SJJ7woD76oI/AAAAAAAABGg/m3BFXH4XG98/s320/IMG_9899.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-11708455206913070432008-07-27T07:02:00.002-06:002008-07-27T07:07:50.502-06:00Reek Sunday<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SIxzGyj8itI/AAAAAAAABGI/vNP7GGTX79Y/s1600-h/pilgrims-782795.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227679827959253714" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SIxzGyj8itI/AAAAAAAABGI/vNP7GGTX79Y/s320/pilgrims-782795.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Today in Ireland there are around 25,000 pilgrims that are climbing Reek Mountain--to commemorate Patrick's time when God told him to climb to the top of this mountain and survey all that the gospel did for Ireland. This is a day when I want to think about the same thing: What have I done to advance the kingdom this past year?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As I was looking for a few facts, I came across Bill Petro's blog. Bill's a good friend from college, and a quite-good historian. Link here to see what he's written about this day. <a href="http://www.billpetro.com/2007/07/24/history-of-reek-sunday-part-1-tradition/">http://www.billpetro.com/2007/07/24/history-of-reek-sunday-part-1-tradition/</a></div><br /><div>and</div><br /><div><a href="http://www.billpetro.com/2007/07/26/history-of-reek-sunday-part-2-pilgrimage/">http://www.billpetro.com/2007/07/26/history-of-reek-sunday-part-2-pilgrimage/</a></div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-46466543439638802542008-07-22T18:45:00.003-06:002008-07-22T18:52:59.776-06:00Leadership Network Team Retreat<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SIaAttN46OI/AAAAAAAABGA/MzdAJxfySYs/s1600-h/08-07-22-130+039.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226005940330359010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SIaAttN46OI/AAAAAAAABGA/MzdAJxfySYs/s320/08-07-22-130+039.jpg" border="0" /></a>Liz and I are in Stevenson, Washington at Skamania Lodge at a Leadership Network Retreat. LN <a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SIaAa3I6FpI/AAAAAAAABF4/Awu5ZPltcNE/s1600-h/08-07-22-130+043.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226005616576304786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SIaAa3I6FpI/AAAAAAAABF4/Awu5ZPltcNE/s320/08-07-22-130+043.jpg" border="0" /></a>has some great folks and it is always a kick to hang out with them. Today, during our free time some people played golf (you are never to say "golfed"....golf is something you play), some went to the spa while I and 4 others went on a two hour white water rafting trip--tons of fun.Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-6522259672674421842008-07-17T15:38:00.005-06:002008-07-17T15:45:01.303-06:00Stockton<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SH-8enh_4UI/AAAAAAAABFw/Wp0TmOPsFjM/s1600-h/IMG_9755.jpg"></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SH-8Qr5ELlI/AAAAAAAABFo/Dop54c_kMxY/s1600-h/IMG_9736.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224101087619067474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SH-8Qr5ELlI/AAAAAAAABFo/Dop54c_kMxY/s320/IMG_9736.jpg" border="0" /></a> Liz and I have been in Stockton the past couple of days--working in the mornings but hanging out with Mom and Dad in the late afternoons and evenings. This morning we went to Chuck's for breakfast. The breakfast below was eggs and cornbeef hash and hashbrown (note giant size) along w/ pancake (in place of toast). It was challenging even for me...but the type of challenge I enjoy. Chuck's is classic--it's been in the same place on Pacific Avenue since 1960--no being run by the 3rd generation.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SH-76q9ClGI/AAAAAAAABFg/6yXRMGR7fx8/s1600-h/IMG_9759.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224100709410182242" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SH-76q9ClGI/AAAAAAAABFg/6yXRMGR7fx8/s320/IMG_9759.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-88721751327673961302008-07-17T15:02:00.006-06:002008-07-17T15:35:47.396-06:00My friend Mark<div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SH-6kzrUn4I/AAAAAAAABFQ/JEr9zrqAscs/s1600-h/IMG_9743.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224099234283036546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SH-6kzrUn4I/AAAAAAAABFQ/JEr9zrqAscs/s320/IMG_9743.jpg" border="0" /></a>Yesterday I drove down to Berkeley to have lunch with my best buddy when I was in Junior High School--Mark Tanouye (<a href="http://ecnr.berkeley.edu/facPage/dispFP.php?I=640">http://ecnr.berkeley.edu/facPage/dispFP.php?I=640</a>). Mark and I played football and wrestled together at Mango Junior H.S. in Sunnyvale and for one semester at Fremont H.S. in Sunnyvale before my family moved to Stockton. Last year Mark tracked me down via Cal's alumni association and I'm so glad he did. After High School, Mark graduated from Stanford, got his Ph.D. from Yale, taught at Cal Tech before accepting a teaching job at Cal. He is currently a prof in the Biology Department along with being the assistant chair of the department. Mark has received several awards for his research and teaching and is the type of guy one just enjoys hanging out with. Here he is explaining that my genome sequence and that of the fruitfly have a 70% match--barely above 2nd cousins once removed!<br /><br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SH-7Fhc-rsI/AAAAAAAABFY/4zocirssYTE/s1600-h/IMG_9745.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224099796326723266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SH-7Fhc-rsI/AAAAAAAABFY/4zocirssYTE/s320/IMG_9745.jpg" border="0" /></a>Because I wanted to learn more of what Mark did, he showed me around his lab and let me in on a bit of the work he is engaged in. It was facinating. Mark and his team are currently working on chemical combinations that raise the threshold of seizure, which is fundamental for breakthroughs with people who suffer from epilepsy. In this film clip one of Mark's graduate assistants is applying an electric shock to a fruitfly in order to trigger a seizure. Oops looks like THAT drug didn't work. Mark loves his work--the work of discovery--to figure out how God has structured life.<br /><br />In past times Christians were at the forefront of science, believing they were discovering, through their research, the very manner, mind and methods of God. We would do well to heed the words of Saint Augustine set in fourth century:<br />"If it happens that the authority of Sacred Scripture is set in opposition to clear and certain reasoning, this must mean that the person who interprets Scripture does not understand it correctly. It is not the meaning of Scripture which is opposed to the truth but the meaning he wanted to give to it."<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=13583279#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a><br /><br />More recently the great Presbyterian theologian of the 19th century, Benjamin B. Warfield wrote:<br />"We must not, then, as Christians, assume an attitude of antagonism toward the truths of reason, or the truths of philosophy, or the truths of science…. None should be more quick to discern truth in every field, more hospitable to receive it, more loyal to follow it, whithersoever it leads."<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=13583279#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a><br /><br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=13583279#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> Meachum, Jon. “The God Debate” Newsweek, April 9, 2007 p. 57<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=13583279#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> Collins, Francis S. The Language of God. Free Press. New York (2006) p. 179<br /><br />In 1987 Mark and his wife Ellen began a spiritual journey with Jesus Christ and a couple of years ago attended a church-planter training and helped with a church plant in Lodi. (<a href="http://www.stpaullodi.org/mod/church-staff/about.php?staff_id=100005">http://www.stpaullodi.org/mod/church-staff/about.php?staff_id=100005</a>)<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowFullScreen='true' webkitallowfullscreen='true' mozallowfullscreen='true' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwwaW7dcdiGPN8gVV1tPViN1_cZgU3hR_cZUhZEYCVM54daRj2YBhNg4BuCFof90REHjhY3BJyrDf4' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' FRAMEBORDER='0' /></div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-37272330078086885542008-07-15T11:16:00.004-06:002008-07-15T11:34:58.504-06:00Do you want to change the world?Reecently, as I've been speaking at externally focused events, I have asked those in attendance, "How many of you want to change the world?" Invariably, every hand goes up. And here's where the nickle drops; everyone wants to change the world but very few people are giving the opportunity to do so. The job of leaders...spiritual, visionary leaders, is to give everyone in their Bailiwick the opportunity to regularly engage in changing the world.<br /><br />Liz and I have a son who lives in another country. When he shares his faith he tells college students, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life and part of that plan is to help change the world." Then he tells them about the compassionate good news of Jesus and his kingdom. "What do you suppose our campus would be like if every student was a follower of Jesus?<br />"Our campus would be an awesome place."<br />"And what if everyone in our city was a follower of Jesus?"<br />"Well, there would be no street children...no hungry people, no homelessness...there would be jobs and people would love each other, even those who are hard to love...and our city would be awesome...and everyone in our country would want to move to our city"<br /><br />What if...<br />...we gave people the regular opportunity to do nothing less than change the world?Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-15190404954720919832008-07-11T07:05:00.007-06:002008-07-11T07:37:07.511-06:00Coyote Motors--buying my car around my mechanic<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHdgczT1GBI/AAAAAAAABFA/AADLuoqGhiE/s1600-h/IMG_9690.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221748340885362706" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHdgczT1GBI/AAAAAAAABFA/AADLuoqGhiE/s320/IMG_9690.jpg" border="0" /></a>In 1999 I bought a 1996 Mazda 626 that had 60,000 miles on it. Soon after buying it I heard some squeeking in the brakes and took it to a good mechanic friend of mine. His shop didn't work on Mazda's but he knew someone who did--Wolfgang Reitz, owner of Coyote Motors in North Boulder (303.443.3011). Shock of all $hocks, he put on new brakes for under $100....I think it was around $80. I hadn't walked out of any car repair place for under a hundred dollars in years. Since then Wolf has been my mechanic and has always done a great job and an incredibly fair price--never selling me something I didn't need. It's just the way he does business. In January when my '96 Mazda was finally getting old enough, with 173K miles on it, I started looking for another car...well, another Mazda. Sounds a bit nutty I suppose but I thought, "I've got my mechanic...I just need another car, so I'll buy my car around what is already consistently great in my life." <a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHdcUBoX4kI/AAAAAAAABE4/tAP187WOGZU/s1600-h/IMG_2051.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221743792064291394" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHdcUBoX4kI/AAAAAAAABE4/tAP187WOGZU/s320/IMG_2051.jpg" border="0" /></a>And I found another Mazda...on Craig's List: a 1999 626 with 27,000 original miles, "driven by our grandmother to the market and back." After buying the car I aske how long it had been on Craig's List. "I pressed the enter button and you called." Liz and I donated the '96 Mazda to Good Neighbor Gargage. GNG is run by Jim Reiner of Belay Enterprises (see photos of 96 and 99 side by side). Jim is a social / spiritual entrepreneur and I need to write about him some time. GNG fixes cars and then gives them to single moms for transportation for work and life. <div><div></div><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHdg0AhXe6I/AAAAAAAABFI/p32AQHmZb4M/s1600-h/IMG_2052.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221748739568794530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHdg0AhXe6I/AAAAAAAABFI/p32AQHmZb4M/s320/IMG_2052.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This past week my 99 Mazda started overheating. This was my first occasion to take it to Coyote Motors and sure enough Wolf squeezed me in, diagnosed a leaky coolant reservoir and had it repaired for cost of the part and 1/2 hour of labor! Can't beat that. Wolf reads a lot about cars and engines and is a true craftsman in what he does. He is an expert at his craft, charges a fair price, and gives you exactly (no more, no less) what one needs.</div><br /><div></div><div>In someways our experience with mechanics is like our experience with doctors. We trust them because our lives our in their hands...well, sort of. So when a mechanic says, "Boy, I sure wouldn't drive out of the city without (fill in the blank here "getting a radiator flush," "replacing all hoses and belts," etc) what do we do. Unlike doctors, mechanics take no Hypocratic oath to first "do no harm." </div><br /><div></div><div>After doing my taxes I blogged about Bob, my tax guy. A few days ago I blogged about Ayo--the paella guy. Taxes, cooking, fixing cars. The common theme is they love what they do and are great at doing it. So that's why I bought my car around my mechanic.</div></div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-61111331588253650572008-07-10T03:39:00.020-06:002008-07-10T05:19:29.554-06:00Ayo's Paella<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXkDPGivTI/AAAAAAAABEo/m0Y3VFoTFO0/s1600-h/IMG_9159.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221330087250672946" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXkDPGivTI/AAAAAAAABEo/m0Y3VFoTFO0/s320/IMG_9159.jpg" border="0" /></a>One of our favorite places to eat in the world--at least the countries we've been to is "Chiringuito de Ayo" (Ayo's Snackbar--picture grapvines for your ceiling and beach sand for the floor) on Burriana Beach in Nerja Spain. Liz and I have been to Spain on four different occassions and we always find ourselves at Ayo's. Ayo is now 70 years old and every day for nine months of the year (he spends the months of October, February and May vacationing in Cuba) he prepares 5-15 giant pans of paella, each of which contain 70-80 portions of paella.<br /><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXh5QalnJI/AAAAAAAABEQ/NjhS8iZRbV4/s1600-h/IMG_9306.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221327716781235346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXh5QalnJI/AAAAAAAABEQ/NjhS8iZRbV4/s320/IMG_9306.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXkiI_YYGI/AAAAAAAABEw/CeO5Xxyy7MI/s1600-h/IMG_9251.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221330618185965666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXkiI_YYGI/AAAAAAAABEw/CeO5Xxyy7MI/s320/IMG_9251.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXhqA_U9jI/AAAAAAAABEI/6IArLMlKv1Q/s1600-h/IMG_9151.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221327454942328370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXhqA_U9jI/AAAAAAAABEI/6IArLMlKv1Q/s320/IMG_9151.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXhY66EC4I/AAAAAAAABEA/UeXLU_ixj1g/s1600-h/IMG_9309.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221327161251859330" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXhY66EC4I/AAAAAAAABEA/UeXLU_ixj1g/s320/IMG_9309.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Every day in Nerja our routine included walking down the beach, at around 2pm, to Ayo's for paella cooked over an open fire. Ayo has it down to a science, filling the pan first with a couple of bottles of olive oil, then adding the chicken, then the long-grain rice, red and green peppers, onions, garlic, whole peeled tomatoes, chicken stock, safron, spices and then finally the shrimp, clams and a few mussels. It's quite a site to behold. Ayo dishes up a huge plate of paella for 6 euros and the best thing is you can bring your plate up as many times as you want for seconds (or thirds).</div><br /><div></div><div>The last day we were in Nerja, Liz and I packed our suitcases, checked out and walked one last <a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXgb6NbSdI/AAAAAAAABDo/1bK066oenjQ/s1600-h/IMG_9568.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221326113092618706" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXgb6NbSdI/AAAAAAAABDo/1bK066oenjQ/s320/IMG_9568.jpg" border="0" /></a>time down to Ayo's. It was early for a Spanish lunch (noon) so after a couple of plates of paella we talked to Ayo about his life. He sent someone for his photo album and for the next 20 minutes walked us through some highlights of his life. He was a track star as a young man and when he was 19 he was one of the first to enter into the caves of nerja (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caves_of_Nerja">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caves_of_Nerja</a>) after a buddy of his discovered the small opening to the cave. These caves are incredible--occupied by humans as early as 25,000 BC and are home to some of the earliest cave paintings. Ayo and a handful of his mates guided the first archeologists into the caves and since that time have hosted kings and queens as well as world celebrities.</div><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXgLVXKn6I/AAAAAAAABDg/GCVefyDaDNI/s1600-h/IMG_9572.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221325828323450786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXgLVXKn6I/AAAAAAAABDg/GCVefyDaDNI/s320/IMG_9572.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div>Why do we like Ayo's so much? I think that any time you meet a person who loves what he or she does and is so good at what they do, it merits one's attention. For the past forty years, seven days a week, Ayo has been putting on his white shirt, apron, shorts and binding rice boxes around his shins (like greaves), under futbol stockings, to protect him from the heat of the open fire and does what he does best--delighting his customers with food that they love.<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXgtLE0ZXI/AAAAAAAABDw/0KKx6Lod0cw/s1600-h/IMG_9565.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221326409677694322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SHXgtLE0ZXI/AAAAAAAABDw/0KKx6Lod0cw/s320/IMG_9565.jpg" border="0" /></a> Take a look at the videos. I think you'll understand a bit more of what I'm writing about.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><br /><iframe allowFullScreen='true' webkitallowfullscreen='true' mozallowfullscreen='true' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyJn1Sm3y-FvJ0tK0c6wgpBBv0oYWmx5bz15tlwRiLCzGCVwNaNfxM5DTzHs9bJtKiSK2aa6Yg5qvU' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' FRAMEBORDER='0' /><iframe allowFullScreen='true' webkitallowfullscreen='true' mozallowfullscreen='true' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dydOYzaJRXWZLNPqdnJ7YuLxG93MysjMe11IghLKyB9cGoak-NzcvEhUSpHb5yCMZCMkDMtjS9N7Xo' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' FRAMEBORDER='0' />Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-91106430011638655532008-07-06T08:38:00.006-06:002008-07-12T06:29:50.134-06:00Back from SpainOur holiday in Spain was great! We rented a condo overlooking the Med on VRBO.com (Vacation Rental by Owner) from a wonderful and dear woman from who lives in LA. I'll attach a video of the view from our balcony. We couldn't think of a more spectacular and beautiful place to be.<br /><br />Every day was Liz and I took a nice long walk through town, sometimes stopping for breakfast at a little cafe overlooking the Med. Then we'd go down to the beach, and go for a swim (it's amazing how boyant one is in salt water, so swiming a third of a mile was pretty easy), and then plop ourselves on beach chairs under a couple of umbrellas and read. Liz picked up some trashy Christian romance novels (e.g. <em>"the heaving bosom of Abraham") </em>from Church and read the usual stuff I read. Around 2pm we'd walk down to Ayo's for paella for a long lunch then back to more doing of nothing. It was great! At night we'd walk to town for dinner and just walking around. In many countries of the world, the homes are modest but the public places are spectacular, so folks dress up and meet others in town. Benches and sitting places are plentiful and people gather and talk.<br /><br />One of the highlights of being in Spain was being part of the crowd that watched Spain defeat both Russia and Germany to win the Eurocup--for the first time in 44 years! The Eurocup is played every 4 years so it alternates every two years with the World Cup, which is also on a 4 year rotation. It was quite a celebration!<br /><iframe allowFullScreen='true' webkitallowfullscreen='true' mozallowfullscreen='true' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz2jeYO0auScz5t0Sf4u-no-5_oYKfoWAjEZdMH1zypgbKAzTDnkNFXYEp26bbdm5pzxlqK_iffn1g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' FRAMEBORDER='0' /><iframe allowFullScreen='true' webkitallowfullscreen='true' mozallowfullscreen='true' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyOcVWwVyAPi8COqovQLg4ffzBYJM6-zkDxCc1Oh06QhMeSGfgKYLTB0sY7LXOvgIQjTz_A_XuXOvs' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' FRAMEBORDER='0' />Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-21206153055503943752008-06-20T11:02:00.002-06:002008-06-20T11:15:27.423-06:00Stu Dodd's 50th<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFvlpXEn4GI/AAAAAAAABDY/dLjiI8NQQvU/s1600-h/Stu%27s+50th.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214013492342284386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFvlpXEn4GI/AAAAAAAABDY/dLjiI8NQQvU/s320/Stu%27s+50th.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Last night Liz and I went to Chautaqua Park to help Stuart Dodds celebrate his 50th birthday. It was really a great time and if you know Stu and Carol and were not able to attend, you would have loved it. Carol did a very nice job planning the event--chips and guac under the apple tree as guests arrived...enchiladas for dinner and afterwards sitting around the Greer's living room (Carol's folks have owned a bungaloe in Chautaqua for years) telling funny stories about Stu--and there were a bunch of them as well as how much we appreciated Stu. Stuart came into our lives in 1981 after being cut by the San Diego Chargers...and then picked up by the Steelers, he turned down the opportunity to play football to join Campus Crusade staff at University of Colorado where Liz and I and John and Nancy Lamb were on directing the ministry. He went from CU to direct the work at Denver University for a number of years before launching the campus ministry in Costa Rica and raising up national staff. Since then, he has returned to the campus ministry where he and Carol continue their impact--even after a bout with cancer.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>All the people in the picture have been touched by Stuart (he's the tallest one in the picture--used to have the same dimensions as Magnum PI (6'4"--215 lbs) but now is 10 pounds leaner.</div><br /><div>Thanks for the life well-lived Stu. The best years are still ahead of you.</div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-11729493903653822862008-06-17T06:53:00.002-06:002008-06-17T07:02:14.093-06:00Transforming a City—Urban-Suburban, Working Together<a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFe1x5S5jpI/AAAAAAAABDQ/eZhE0w7XcHQ/s1600-h/IMG_0376.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212834962502946450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFe1x5S5jpI/AAAAAAAABDQ/eZhE0w7XcHQ/s320/IMG_0376.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFe1ZYGjCfI/AAAAAAAABDE/nqcJUvsDLU0/s1600-h/IMG_0378.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212834541275908594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFe1ZYGjCfI/AAAAAAAABDE/nqcJUvsDLU0/s320/IMG_0378.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>For the past few days I’ve been revisiting the book of Nehemiah—the quintessential manual for community transformation. Most likely this has been discovered before but I’m seeing it for the first time so it is fresh for me. The first observation is that those who rebuilt and restored the city of Jerusalem were not just those who lived in Jerusalem but were from the surrounding communities—the suburbs.<br />3:2 “The men of Jericho built the adjoining section…” Jericho was 18 miles NE of Jerusalem—about the same distance Boulder is from Denver.<br />3:5 “The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa…” Tekoa was 12 miles South of Jerusalem.<br />3:7 “Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah…” Gibeon was 6 miles NW of Jerusalem; Mizpah was 4 miles West of Jerusalem.<br />3:13 “The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah…” Zanoah was 10 miles West of Jerusalem.<br />3:16 “…ruler of the half-district of Beth Zur…” Beth Zur was 4 miles North of Jerusalem.<br />3:22 “The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region.” The surrounding region was…well….the surrounding region.<br /><br />Why would people from the suburbs expend their labor on the city? Most likely they were of the persuasion that in the walled city was their welfare. As Jerusalem prospered they, in the suburbs, would benefit from its prosperity.<br /><br />The second thing I saw in chapter 3 was the mishmash (not to be confused with the biblical city Micmash of Nehemiah 7:31) of workers.<br />“Eliashib the high pries and his fellow priest went to work and rebuilt the Sheepgate…” 3:1<br />“Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section…” 3:8<br />“…Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers made repairs next to that.” 3:8<br />“Rephaiah…ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem repaired the next section.” 3:9<br />“Shallum…ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.” 3:12<br />“The Dung Gate (think about the servant-heart these people must’ve had!) was repaired by Malkija…ruler of the district of… 3:14<br />“The Fountain Gate was repaid by Col. Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah.” 3:15<br />Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of…made repairs…” 3:16<br />“…Ezer son of Joshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section…” 3:19<br />“The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region.” 3:22<br />“…and the temple servants…made repairs…” 3:26<br />“…the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house.” 3:28<br />“Malkija, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs…. 3:31<br />“…the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs. 3:32<br /><br />It takes all kinds of people to restore a city—pastors, families, government officials, the business community, craftsmen…all kinds of people.<br /><br />On May 31st of this year, my own church, Calvary Bible of Boulder engaged in its fifth year of Sharefest. This year 34 churches worked on 34 different sites around Boulder County and north Denver. Families and business people, government officials, teachers and pastors all pitch in to make a sustainable difference in the community. Here is the write-up of the broadcast from Channel 9 News in Denver. (http://www.9news.com/news/education/article.aspx?storyid=92798&amp;catid=129)<br /><br />DENVER - If cleanliness is next to Godliness, then Kevin Snyder might be one of many angels working from Boulder to Denver trying to shine buildings back into shape days into summer break. Sharefest brings thousands of volunteers to clean schools<br /><br />"There's graffiti and tape on the outsides of these lockers," said Snyder, part of the 75 person cleaning crew at East High School in Denver. "It's obvious they haven't been cleaned maybe 3, 4, maybe 5 years. There's a Kerry-Edwards sticker inside one." Snyder is one of more than 3,500 volunteers working with Sharefest. Sharefest is a community service campaign started five years ago by the Calvary Bible Church in Boulder. This year, members of more than 30 churches are cleaning facilities for non-profits, Boulder Valley Schools and East High in Denver. "It's been a heck of a lot of fun doing this," said Snyder. "This is a beautiful, beautiful building."<br /><br />"Sharefest is a way for churches in our community to come together as one," said Angie Hendricks, site leader at East High. "And, that's our goal, too, is just to come together as one body and to break those boundaries." Hendricks says there's a real reward in helping school districts and non-profit groups who are always struggling for money.<br /><br />"We know they're under-funded," said Hendricks. "We know they work so hard."<br />Lafayette Rockette is the facilities manager for East High School. Rockette says the volunteer crew at his school saved his staff hours upon hours of extra work. "It was just great, just great," said Rockette. "You know, I could hug them all. Just give them all a big hug for what they did – just more than wonderful."<br /><br />The crews did more than clean. They did minor construction, painting, landscaping and repairs. At East High, the home of the Angels, volunteers painted the school logo and colors in the coaches' training room. "It was just another Angel moment done by angels," said Rockette.<br />Organizers estimate for the first four years of Sharefest, volunteers contributed more than $1 million worth of labor and materials. "We're really here to serve Jesus Christ, that's our deal," said Adam Pitale, volunteer, while staring at the new East Angels logo. "Ironic."<br />That's why Snyder comes back to volunteer year after year. He does this for the schools and for the people. But, most of all, he does it for God. "Church is not a bunch of people coming in on Sunday and for the rest of the week going about their everyday business, never being concerned with what's going on around them," said Snyder. "This is church for us and that's why it's important."<br />(Copyright KUSA*TV, All Rights Reserved)</div></div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-64556940217336371972008-06-13T06:17:00.008-06:002008-07-11T06:57:23.205-06:00Mixed Taste--Tag Team Lectures on Unrelated Topics<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFJ1KoWqM2I/AAAAAAAABC8/yRmwF4fLz9k/s1600-h/IMG_8984.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211356544312685410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFJ1KoWqM2I/AAAAAAAABC8/yRmwF4fLz9k/s320/IMG_8984.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFJ0xuy75wI/AAAAAAAABC0/dyIz0_E65bE/s1600-h/IMG_9002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211356116545169154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFJ0xuy75wI/AAAAAAAABC0/dyIz0_E65bE/s320/IMG_9002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFJ0ZTjk3gI/AAAAAAAABCs/LAlCe2yUkhg/s1600-h/IMG_9005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211355696916127234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFJ0ZTjk3gI/AAAAAAAABCs/LAlCe2yUkhg/s320/IMG_9005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFJ0IIyJczI/AAAAAAAABCk/omMr9New2pE/s1600-h/IMG_8988.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFJz4Rwa_lI/AAAAAAAABCc/xMZInUaKa7Y/s1600-h/IMG_8991.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211355129497452114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFJz4Rwa_lI/AAAAAAAABCc/xMZInUaKa7Y/s320/IMG_8991.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFJyjrZZ0jI/AAAAAAAABCU/VwqaQ_3fLkM/s1600-h/IMG_9009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211353676091347506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFJyjrZZ0jI/AAAAAAAABCU/VwqaQ_3fLkM/s320/IMG_9009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFJxgnAFREI/AAAAAAAABCM/vp-Qhw92Bnw/s1600-h/IMG_9015.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211352523860165698" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SFJxgnAFREI/AAAAAAAABCM/vp-Qhw92Bnw/s320/IMG_9015.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Last night Liz and I went with two young couples down to Belmar Lab ( <a title="blocked::http://www.belmarlab.org/" href="http://www.belmarlab.org/">http://www.belmarlab.org/</a>) to hear the second of "Tag Team Lectures on Unrelated Topics" as part of a summer program called "Mixed Taste." Last week Liz and I went to hear Silent Films and Counterfeit Currency. Last night's topics were "Soda Pop," by Adrian Miller and "Extreme Death Rituals of Borneo" by Christine Kreps, assistant professor of Anthropology at Denver University. The evening started with a light buffet and drinks at 6pm followed by a brief introduction to the evening. Each speaker was given 30 minutes to present his or her topic. This was followed by 30 minutes of Q&amp;A to both speakers. Questions that could find the intersections between the topics are exceptionally valuable. Adrian gave the history of soda pop. Soda is from the carbonation and "pop" comes from the sound when a carbonated bottle was uncorked. Very interesting stuff; Dr. Pepper was named after the father of a girl a young chemist was courting (they never married). Adrian is assistant deputy director to Governor Bill Ritter and is also writing a book on the history of soul food. Last month, a buddy of mine went out for soul food with Adrian at one of Denver's best soul food restaurants. He was also gracious enought to join us at our New Year's Eve dinner / party. He is a delighful man with a great sense of humor. </div><div></div><div>Christine started by saying that death rituals are important because life is very short and death is very long. After the event several of us joined the speakers and program hosts a block away at the Oven for pizza. Next week's topics are Maya Astronomy and Stanley Kubrick.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-45767153543448462002008-06-08T19:19:00.002-06:002008-06-08T19:40:49.616-06:00Starting a Nonprofit at Your Church<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEyKF1lfNDI/AAAAAAAABCE/F0PQ4yzhnq4/s1600-h/Starting+a+Nonprofit.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209690701849113650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEyKF1lfNDI/AAAAAAAABCE/F0PQ4yzhnq4/s320/Starting+a+Nonprofit.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>A couple months ago... Joy Skjegstad, recognizing that we connected around externally focused churches, contacted me asking me to review her book, Starting a Nonprofit at Your Church (with a forward by Mary Nelson). Today I finished the book and the one word that came to my mind was the word, "Stop!" If you are thinking about starting a 501(c)(3) from your church or independently this book is a "must read." Joy writes from the strength of serving as Executive Director of a nonprofit for 5 years and is more than well-versed in the ins and outs of nonprofits. Often I am asked about the benefits of beginning a ministry, or spinning off a ministry into a separate nonprofit organization. Until I find something better, this book will be my "go to" book that folks should read as they ponder the question, "Should we?" or "shouldn't we?"</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Joy gives us a complete book that includes evaluative questions, forms, legal issues, pay guidelines, the role of various types of boards etc. There is nothing one needs to start a 501(c)(3) that is not included in this fabulous little gem. The book is available from Amazon at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Nonprofit-Church-Institute-Publication/dp/1566992656/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1212975508&amp;sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Nonprofit-Church-Institute-Publication/dp/1566992656/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1212975508&amp;sr=8-1</a></div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-73209873903875699592008-06-07T07:14:00.003-06:002008-06-07T07:23:35.308-06:00Inaugural Books & Brew<div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEqLXeALCVI/AAAAAAAABB0/3jc-3INuRRg/s1600-h/IMG_4343.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209129154314438994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEqLXeALCVI/AAAAAAAABB0/3jc-3INuRRg/s320/IMG_4343.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Friday afternoon we kicked off the first of 6 Summer Books &amp; Brew gatherings. The fellas showed up starved gobbling down hot wings, meatballs, sausages, chips and salsa, taquitos. Best of all we got to hear from John Lamb, who unpacked his doctoral dissertation on Celtic spirituality for all of us. Next week we'll begin discussing what each of us are reading.<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEqLoNSa4UI/AAAAAAAABB8/wRi3fJPMXBQ/s1600-h/IMG_4333.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209129441885348162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEqLoNSa4UI/AAAAAAAABB8/wRi3fJPMXBQ/s320/IMG_4333.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div>We had a lot of rain this week and Colorado has really greened up--just beautiful.</div></div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-51446080874711451742008-06-01T04:40:00.009-06:002008-06-05T15:46:31.211-06:00Montserrat Monastery<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEhdcJzeuqI/AAAAAAAABBs/uRa7oqe9EGw/s1600-h/IMG_4262.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208515707303541410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEhdcJzeuqI/AAAAAAAABBs/uRa7oqe9EGw/s320/IMG_4262.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEhdFfEYeCI/AAAAAAAABBk/IDGp9_H1few/s1600-h/IMG_4275.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208515317874587682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEhdFfEYeCI/AAAAAAAABBk/IDGp9_H1few/s320/IMG_4275.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEKG4RGrV0I/AAAAAAAABBM/xsrbNRpvZlI/s1600-h/IMG_4219.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206872420415919938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEKG4RGrV0I/AAAAAAAABBM/xsrbNRpvZlI/s320/IMG_4219.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEKGqBGrVzI/AAAAAAAABBE/xBOUFgD8suQ/s1600-h/IMG_4267.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206872175602784050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEKGqBGrVzI/AAAAAAAABBE/xBOUFgD8suQ/s320/IMG_4267.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEKGahGrVyI/AAAAAAAABA8/YB_NZrtPDrk/s1600-h/IMG_4240.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206871909314811682" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEKGahGrVyI/AAAAAAAABA8/YB_NZrtPDrk/s320/IMG_4240.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEKFyxGrVwI/AAAAAAAABAs/N8D8wWUtO1M/s1600-h/IMG_4195.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206871226415011586" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEKFyxGrVwI/AAAAAAAABAs/N8D8wWUtO1M/s320/IMG_4195.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>I'm on my way home from four days of Campus Crusade's "Global City Movements" meetings at the beautiful Benedictine monastery in Montserrat, a short drive from Barcelona. For over a <a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEKHjxGrV2I/AAAAAAAABBc/IzPttpSDR1w/s1600-h/IMG_4278.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206873167740229474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEKHjxGrV2I/AAAAAAAABBc/IzPttpSDR1w/s320/IMG_4278.jpg" border="0" /></a>thousand years pilgrims have come to these mountains and stayed in the caves or the basilica, built in the 1500s. It is a place of extreme beauty and wonder. This was a very productive time hosted by Bob and Sandy Varney with participants from Europe, India, Africa and America--very good people...friends old and new. Bob put together a creative 3 days of interaction around the major questions around city and community transformation. It was very encouraging to hear of some incredibly innovative things these folks were doing. Mark Visvasum, from Chenai, India, for example has been working together with many of the 2,500 churches of Chenai. Although this city has seen tremendous growth of the church...with some estimates as high as 30% believers, the problems have grown ten-fold. Through Chenai Transformation Network (<a href="mailto:chennaictn@gmail.com">chennaictn@gmail.com</a>)-- comprised of pastors, business leaders, parachurches and social service leaders, the churches identified over 45k people living on the streets of Chenai....sometimes for generations. The Catholic and Protestant churches of Chenai are adopting blocks of the city to care for these street dwellers--providing food and access to hospitals for medical care. They have identified 17k streets of Chenai and are talking of planting churches on every one of them.</div><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEKGGxGrVxI/AAAAAAAABA0/reVecGSMX3o/s1600-h/IMG_4270.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206871570012395282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SEKGGxGrVxI/AAAAAAAABA0/reVecGSMX3o/s320/IMG_4270.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Apart from the stimulating people and discussions, we shared all of our meals at set times, served by the monks of the monestary. This is not a public hotel but we stayed under a special arrangement, with each of us having a small, private room with a common bathroom down the hall. Each of us was given a napkin at our first meal with a numbered napkin ring, indicating that we were to use the same napkin for all 12 meals that we shared around the common table. The walking trails around the monastery were spectacular for nordic stick walking (yes I squeezed them into my suitcase). It's been a great time.</div><br />Part of the tension the church and CCC faces at this time is expressed by the painting that hangs in the dining hall (refectory) of Montserrat. A woman is in need of help...physical help. As one merciful fellow moves towards her, his companions stand at a distance and seem to be saying, "Let someone else help her--our focus is on the spiritual." It's always good to remember that the gospel is such good news that it is thick enough to encompass both words and works--compassionate deeds and passionate proclamation. Afterall we are not gnostics nor athiests, denying the physical or the spiritual.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.panoramicearth.com/843/Barcelona/Montserrat">http://www.panoramicearth.com/843/Barcelona/Montserrat</a></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-80545971795181097182008-05-26T21:57:00.004-06:002009-08-14T12:40:30.768-06:00Memorial Day<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDuI6hGrVvI/AAAAAAAABAk/m-lWu61xR_E/s1600-h/scan0145.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204904333256906482" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDuI6hGrVvI/AAAAAAAABAk/m-lWu61xR_E/s320/scan0145.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDuIfhGrVuI/AAAAAAAABAc/yRxifmL2BBo/s1600-h/Baghdad+Shutterfly+505.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; FLOAT: left; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204903869400438498" border="0" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDuIfhGrVuI/AAAAAAAABAc/yRxifmL2BBo/s320/Baghdad+Shutterfly+505.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div>Today we honor Liz's father, Capt. Malcom R. Stanford who received the Bronze Star for Bravery fighting in the Philippines with the 187th Infantry Regiment "Rakkasan" as the commander of "G" Company in Phillipines(Luzon). . We also honor my living dad, Signalman 1st Class with the USN during WWII in the South Pacific and my son, Jeff who fought in our present war in Iraq. Jeff and Ashlie ran the Bolder Boulder road race today (along w/ 50,000 others) and ended up in the CU Stadium. I was proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with Jeff as together we saluted the colors (I was in the US Army Reserves) as our National Anthem was sung.</div></div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-33210030276351550882008-05-22T05:29:00.002-06:002008-05-22T05:38:31.674-06:00"God has come to help his people"Just reflecting on son Andy 's words and our time in Malaysia. I'm not sure if I mentioned it or not but one church, SIB (<a href="http://www.sibkl.org.my/htm/home.htm">http://www.sibkl.org.my/htm/home.htm</a>) will have all 103 of their cell groups engaged in community ministry on a monthly basis. In times when pain is prevelant in a community, as it currently in China and Myanmar, it is when the people of God become the hands and feet of Jesus and people intuitively say, "God has come to help his people" (Luke 7:16). To love and serve in times of distress helps people know that he "loves them just as much as he loves his own son" (John 17:23). God bless all those who help, love and serve.Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-36745676185116301552008-05-22T05:10:00.002-06:002008-05-22T05:14:12.363-06:00Mobilized for Sichuan--Prayer requested<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDVVbhGrVtI/AAAAAAAABAU/B3E6pxG8WCE/s1600-h/China+Earthquake+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203158875727681234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDVVbhGrVtI/AAAAAAAABAU/B3E6pxG8WCE/s320/China+Earthquake+1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The Action of the Call by Andy Swanson<br /><br />By now I’m sure you’ve heard of the devastation the earthquake in China has caused among the countless numbers of people here. Thousands upon thousands of lives lost, even more injured and millions left homeless. The physical toll is surpassed only by the psychological anguish that radiates from the southern province of Sichuan and touches every heart in China. This past Monday at 2:28 pm, the entire nation stood in 3 minutes of silence mourning the lost lives and hoping for more news of miraculous rescues. Cries of pain and help have gone out from the hearts of the people here and have reached the ears of our compassionate and loving God who is, and has been, calling his people to rise up to offer food, clothing, water, homes and comfort to those in need.<br /><br />A bright spot in the midst of the tragedy has been the response of the Chinese people and the government to the earthquake victims. For the first time, the government has allowed full coverage of the earthquake and the aftermath, and the people have responded in overwhelming ways. A huge grass roots humanitarian effort sprung up immediately after the quake in the form of thousands of ordinary Chinese with carloads of blankets and instant noodles driving into the villages that were accessible with their goods. For a week now, thousands of people have lined up outside of blood banks to donate blood, and the Red Cross of China has reported its largest donations ever in the quake‘s aftermath. Our students too have all given blood and money and have been praying for the people in Sichuan.<br /><br />God has opened a door for us and our students to go to Sichuan to help in whatever ways we can. We have put together a team, God has provided ample funding, and we are now just waiting for the green light to go from the relief organizers in Chengdu. We want to ask you, starting today, to seriously pray with us for the people in Sichuan. Their hearts are crushed and many are without hope. Please pray that God would speak His words of comfort and hope through us and that He would do what He always does- bring Life from death. We mourn with the Chinese, and we ask that you would join us in crying out to God on their behalf.<br /><br />We will keep you updated, and we are thankful for your love and prayers for the people here.<br /><br />Love,<br />Andy, Natalie and Jenda Swanson</div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-87101351162167593622008-05-22T04:52:00.003-06:002008-05-22T05:08:27.910-06:00Who Does God Use? Loving God and Loving Neighbor<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDVTZRGrVsI/AAAAAAAABAM/SiRoMa3aByE/s1600-h/China+Earthquake.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203156638049720002" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDVTZRGrVsI/AAAAAAAABAM/SiRoMa3aByE/s320/China+Earthquake.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><em>A Call to Action by Andy Swanson</em></div><br /><br /><div><em></em></div><br /><br /><div><em>In a time of Plague, Draught, Famine, or Natural disaster, Christians throughout history have taken care of each other as well as taken care of their non-believing friends and relatives. During these times, having a Christian friend meant that your survival rate was more than three times that of a non-believer with no Christian friends.</em><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=13583279#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a><br />Luke 10:25-37<br /></div><br /><br /><div>On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"<br />"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"<br />He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"<br />"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."<br />But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"<br />In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'<br />"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"<br />The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."<br /></div><br /><br /><div><u>Loving Your Neighbor</u><br />An expert in the Law asked Jesus how he could inherit eternal life. The answer in the Law is summed up by loving the Lord and loving your neighbor. According to the parable of the Good Samaritan, two Lovers of “God,” the Priest and the Levite, did not love their neighbor, the wounded man on the side of the road. Instead in this parable, the one who loved his neighbor, the one who showed mercy to his neighbor, was an outsider, a nonbeliever, a sinner, a Samaritan.<br /><br />He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?<br />To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8<br /><br />This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:16-20</div><div><br />God has chosen and commissioned his church to be his body, his hands and feet, to serve and comfort the poor needy hurting people of the world, to love with actions and in truth. He has given us his authority to preach the good news and make disciples. Matt. 28:18-20 His purpose is to redeem the world and use his church to do it. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. 2 Corinthian 5:20 </div><br /><div>This is our job and role in ushering in the kingdom of God, but what happens when the people of God do not obey or do what God tells them to? Is God trapped if believers do not do his will and are not obedient in serving him through being his witnesses to the world, taking care of the poor and needy, acting justly and loving mercy? God gives his church, his followers, many chances to obey and accomplish his will, but if the believers do not respond, He will choose to work through others, through the Samaritans, the nonbelievers and sinners to accomplish his will and be glorified throughout the earth. Romans 9:17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."</div><div><br />Jeremiah 27:5-6 With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. Now I will hand all your countries over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him.<br /><br />We know that God used Pharaoh as an enemy of God to display his power. But God also used other Pagan Kings to do his will and bring judgment upon his people and other nations for their failure to love God and Neighbor. King Nebuchadnezzar was used to carry out God’s will and judgment on the people of Judah even though he did not believe in the Lord or give him glory until many years later. Daniel 4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.<br /><br />Sodom is one of the most well known evil cities in the Bible. It is constantly referred to as being a horrible Godless place. So what was Sodom’s sin, why was it so horrible? The people of Sodom did not love their neighbor.</div><div><br />" 'Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. Ezekiel 16:49</div><br /><div>Jesus was about God’s glory and loving people, his neighbors. His mission “The spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me… because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19 /Isaiah 61</div><br /><div>When God’s chosen people, the church, stop being the body of Christ by not loving their neighbors, God chooses to use the Samaritans and sinners of the world make his name known and to save the week and oppressed. God will still get glory, but the church will be judged and will not be blessed. There is also another interesting thing happens, the people who are looked down upon by the “church” or not allowed into the church for being sinners and nonbelievers begin to be recognized and called “People of God.” When the church refuses to do the work of the church, God chooses others.</div><div><br />As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one,” and, "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'” Romans 9:25-26</div><br /><div><u>Love the Lord</u><br />Many will say that the reason the people of the church can often neglect loving their neighbors is because they are too busy doing the best thing, loving God and serving him. “We don’t have time to do everything so we must prioritize by spending most of our time loving God, going to church, praying, reading the bible and fellowshipping with other believers.” </div><br /><div>Look at the parable of the Good Samaritan. The Priest and Levite were working as Servants of the Lord. They were busy, like many Christians, loving God. They were probably both good people who were willing to help as long as it didn’t interfere with their jobs or lives. They may have said a prayer or asked for God’s blessing for the man as they passed by, but they knew that if they stopped to help their “neighbor,” this bloody dirty person who probably was a bad man who most likely deserved this punishment anyway, they would be late for church or have to miss church all together that day or maybe for 2 or 3 days. These “servants of the Most High” weren’t bad people, they just understood that they had responsibilities and could not sacrifice the “work of God” to help some stranger.</div><div><br />John 14:21, 23-24<br />Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."<br />Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.<br />How do we love Jesus? We obey his commands. </div><br /><div>1 John 2:3-6 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.</div><div><br />How do we know we know and are in Jesus? We obey his commands and walk and as Jesus did.<br />1 John 3:16-20 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.</div><br /><div><em>If during a crisis Christians fulfilled their ideal of ministering to everyone, there would be many pagan survivors who owed their lives to Christian neighbors</em>.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=13583279#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2">[2]</a><br /><br />Matthew 25:31-46<br />"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. </div><br /><div>"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' </div><br /><div>"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'<br />"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'<br />"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'<br />"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'<br />"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'<br />"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." </div><div><br /><em>When all normal services break down, quiet elementary nursing will greatly reduce mortality. Simple provision of food and water for instance, will allow persons who are temporarily too weak to cope for themselves to recover instead of perishing miserably.</em><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=13583279#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3">[3]</a> </div><div><br />Who really loves the Lord? Those who obey Jesus and love the least through feeding them, giving them something to drink, inviting them in, clothing them, visiting them. ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' </div><div><br />John 21:15-17<br />15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."<br />16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."<br />17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."<br />Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.”</div><br /><div>Today there are some 100 million hungry children in the world who get virtually no assistance. We have calculated that it would cost around $5 billion a year to provide them and their mothers with a basic package of food, nutrition and health care<a name="_ftnref1"></a><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=13583279#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4">[4]</a><a title="#_ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=13583279#_ftn1#_ftn1"></a>. Right now there are hundreds of thousands of people dying from lack of food and basic medical care. There are people who are being oppressed pushed around because they don’t know their rights, they have no one to defend them. People are dying everyday without knowing the saving grace of Jesus.<br /><br />Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up ad judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy-Prov 31:8-9<br /><br /><em>Now, we must all fear evil men. But there is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men</em>.<a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=13583279#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5">[5]</a></div><br /><div><u>So here is the question</u>: How are we loving God and our neighbor? Do we love the least of these? Can we be men and women of prayer and faith lived out through action? Can we be God’s hands and feet and change the world, or are we going to sit back and watch God choose someone else?<br />Why don’t we start right now and begin to pray for God to use us now and here where we are. Let us lead the way in our Campuses and Work places. Let us communicate to the world that God wants to show them his love. Let us begin to give right now to feed the starving children in Africa, Asia and around the world. $.25 can feed someone for a day. Can we organize our classmates and coworkers to each feed one starving child a day? Can we go and serve in the ravaged, broken hells of this world? Christians need to lead the way so that we can communicate the love of God in order to bring heaven to these hells. Our job is not just be good people. Don’t wait for God to choose someone else. He is calling the church. He is calling you.<br />Jesus is asking YOU: “Do YOU Love Me?”… “Feed my sheep.”<br />“Do YOU Love Me?”… “Take care of my sheep.”<br />“Do YOU Love Me?”… “Feed my sheep.”<br /></div><div>Who can help the 2 million cyclone victims facing disease and starvation in Burma? Who can help the homeless hopeless people of the Si Chuan earthquake?<br />“Who will help them? Who will help them?”- A Sichuan woman cried out after seeing her apartment building collapse with her mother and 5 month old baby inside.<br />Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? Isaiah 6:8<br />Christians in Burma are working to assist survivors of the cyclone. </div><div> </div><div>A local believer said this:<br /><em>"I believe that as we bring relief assets to the orphanages and churches with whom we are partners, we will not only be helping them but also providing them with the necessary resources to impact their immediate communities with the tangible love of Jesus. In the end, I believe that the church will shine in this dark hour and that the Kingdom of God will be advanced in this nation."</em> </div><div><br />Here are two places to give to help our neighbor, to feed and clothe Jesus. You can help right now.</div><div><br />香港 For the Hungry International Hong KongBox No. 60104Tsat Tsz Mui Post OfficeHong Kong Phone: (852) 2560-6364Fax: (852) 2560-6064 E-mail:<a title="mailto:info@fhhk.org" href="mailto:info@fhhk.org">mailto:info@fhhk.org</a><br />联合国世界粮食计划署<a title="http://www.wfp.org.cn/" href="http://www.wfp.org.cn/">http://www.wfp.org.cn/</a> world food program<br /><br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=13583279#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> The Rise of Christianity- pg 92<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=13583279#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2">[2]</a> Rise of Christianity pg. 90<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=13583279#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3">[3]</a> Rise of Christianity pg. 88<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=13583279#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4">[4]</a> Still Dying of Hunger, More Can Be Done to Ease the Toll on Children and Countries. By James T. Morris. Thursday, May 25, 2006; Page A29<br /><a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=13583279#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5">[5]</a> Boondock Saints quote</div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-48209627144440599632008-05-20T20:40:00.007-06:002008-05-20T20:53:09.871-06:00Malaysia Epilogue<div><div><br /><div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDONMOCj5yI/AAAAAAAAA_c/2oNw30WqGI4/s1600-h/IMG_4142.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202657235609839394" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDONMOCj5yI/AAAAAAAAA_c/2oNw30WqGI4/s320/IMG_4142.jpg" border="0" /></a>After the banquet and saying our good-byes Sam and I were chauferred the four hour drive down to the Singapore airport--arriving around 3:30am in plenty of time for our 7:15 flight to Tokyo...then Seattle then Denver. Our Malaysian friends gave us a couple of gifts--an engraved <a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDONaOCj5zI/AAAAAAAAA_k/TEOvhvfeO6s/s1600-h/IMG_4145.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202657476128007986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDONaOCj5zI/AAAAAAAAA_k/TEOvhvfeO6s/s320/IMG_4145.jpg" border="0" /></a>peuter plate and a handcrafted Maylasian jewlry stand for the wives that Sam and I had to open for security and to travel. Of course we gave our wives gifts the very best treatment on the way <a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDON1OCj51I/AAAAAAAAA_0/TtXKmQ-oivk/s1600-h/IMG_4162.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202657939984475986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDON1OCj51I/AAAAAAAAA_0/TtXKmQ-oivk/s320/IMG_4162.jpg" border="0" /></a>home.<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDONlOCj50I/AAAAAAAAA_s/31hRiQH8Gi4/s1600-h/IMG_4168.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202657665106569026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDONlOCj50I/AAAAAAAAA_s/31hRiQH8Gi4/s320/IMG_4168.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDOOCuCj52I/AAAAAAAAA_8/9_VVuXW6CeI/s1600-h/IMG_4165.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202658171912709986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDOOCuCj52I/AAAAAAAAA_8/9_VVuXW6CeI/s320/IMG_4165.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div></div><br />Sam and I have had some great trips over the past 20 years but we have never experienced such consistent and gracious hospitality. Thanks Richard, Piek See, and Richard.Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-44356276064642299902008-05-19T03:47:00.009-06:002008-05-21T09:59:19.216-06:00Malaysia Day 8<div><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDFRA-Cj5tI/AAAAAAAAA-0/AnrX3MCfrn0/s1600-h/IMG_4120.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202028121685223122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDFRA-Cj5tI/AAAAAAAAA-0/AnrX3MCfrn0/s320/IMG_4120.jpg" border="0" /></a>Today we had a wonderful Externally Focused Conference in Kaula Lumpur. Around 250 pastors and leaders met from 9-3 today (a public holiday) to hear Sam and me talk about externally focused church and community transformation. One church leader said starting in June their 100 cell groups will engage their communities with kingdom kindness.<br /><br />There are a number of reasons Sam and I are impressed with the importance and strategic place Malaysia may have for the world. First, it is a very prosperous country. I think we've all seen pictures of the Petronas Twin Towers--the two tallest buildings in the world from 1998-2004. Last night we went out to <a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDFXUeCj5wI/AAAAAAAAA_M/OeYQxA2M1B8/s1600-h/IMG_4078.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202035053762438914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDFXUeCj5wI/AAAAAAAAA_M/OeYQxA2M1B8/s320/IMG_4078.jpg" border="0" /></a>dinner and saw them up close! Wow--stainless steel and glass and a real work of art. Second, Malaysia is a multi-cultural, multi-linguistic and multi-religious country--which may be a precursor to what most nations will be in 50 years. Malaysia is small enough (~28m) that it can serve as a laboratory for kingdom transformation. And what works here can spread to all of Asia. Because one of the common languages is English it is easier to travel and make a contribution here. And last (as if we haven't said it enough) Sam and I are thoroughly impressed with Richard, Simon and Piek See. They are very well connected and have a passion / talent for this type of work. They have also introduced us to<br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDOK5-Cj5xI/AAAAAAAAA_U/jJjVQ3N05Yc/s1600-h/IMG_4132.jpg"></a><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDRGv-Cj53I/AAAAAAAABAE/4Ub-PENj6D0/s1600-h/IMG_4133.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202861259441301362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDRGv-Cj53I/AAAAAAAABAE/4Ub-PENj6D0/s320/IMG_4133.jpg" border="0" /></a>a number of pastoral, NGO and business leaders. This evening we will attend a graduation banquet for those who have completed the Million Leaders Mandate training. Everything is so well organized. One other thing, we are very impressed with the worship of this country. Every worship team is passionate and talented. The banquet this evening was saved to be the best for last--over 800 people including business and political leaders showed up to see their friends and family graduate from the leadership classes. Richard even took a love gift offering of over U$ 5K for the people of Myanmar. Pretty amazing.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SDOK5-Cj5xI/AAAAAAAAA_U/jJjVQ3N05Yc/s1600-h/IMG_4132.jpg"></a></div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-72875102525383302092008-05-18T02:14:00.009-06:002008-05-18T03:03:33.978-06:00Maylaysia Days 5-7After leaving Kuala Lumpor to meet for lunch with a group of pastors in Melaka, Friday on the west coast, we then drove 2.5 hours to a city of 250,000 called Kluang. The city was delightful. Our first stop was at the Rail Cafe, the downtown version of the historic coffee stop at the railway station that has been serving great coffee, toast and softboiled eggs to rail passengers since 1938. The most interesting thing about this 3rd generation landmark is that it is run by committed believers who have produced generations of pastors and committed believers. After settling in our hotel (without Internet) we had dinner at Barney's Pizza with a bunch of pastors. Barney is part of the coffee family who lived in San Diego and involved in Calvary Chapel.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SC_vZuCj5qI/AAAAAAAAA-c/7fhIv7KxBU8/s1600-h/IMG_3960.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201639319770752674" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SC_vZuCj5qI/AAAAAAAAA-c/7fhIv7KxBU8/s320/IMG_3960.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SC_vC-Cj5pI/AAAAAAAAA-U/HaEwJtISFXk/s1600-h/IMG_4056.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201638928928728722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SC_vC-Cj5pI/AAAAAAAAA-U/HaEwJtISFXk/s320/IMG_4056.jpg" border="0" /></a>One of the great folks we met was Jit who is the youth pastor of the Agape Presbyterian Church. Jit was on Wayne Cordiero's staff for 15 years at New Hope Church in Honolulu. He has 400 youth from the community playing sports every Saturday and has a great vision for community transformation. Sam and I hung out with him until 1:30am this morning talking ministry.</div><a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SC_uyuCj5oI/AAAAAAAAA-M/lbVxpfpOevw/s1600-h/IMG_3999.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201638649755854466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SC_uyuCj5oI/AAAAAAAAA-M/lbVxpfpOevw/s320/IMG_3999.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SC_v1-Cj5rI/AAAAAAAAA-k/PqNCZUv3K7g/s1600-h/IMG_3997.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201639805102057138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SC_v1-Cj5rI/AAAAAAAAA-k/PqNCZUv3K7g/s320/IMG_3997.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SC_ulOCj5nI/AAAAAAAAA-E/q8z1-9uPR5U/s1600-h/IMG_4021.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201638417827620466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SC_ulOCj5nI/AAAAAAAAA-E/q8z1-9uPR5U/s320/IMG_4021.jpg" border="0" /></a>On Saturday 250 folks from Kluang showed up for the 9:00-4:00 Externally Focused Church / Community Transformation conference and then another 400 showed up for the Million Leaders Mandate graduation dinner. Of course it was a great dinner. Malyasian food is a combination of Malay food, Indian food and Chinese food. Sam and I feel totally bloated but we're hardly complaining.<a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SC_uQ-Cj5mI/AAAAAAAAA98/iMMyxcXQVfc/s1600-h/IMG_4033.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201638069935269474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SC_uQ-Cj5mI/AAAAAAAAA98/iMMyxcXQVfc/s320/IMG_4033.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>This morning after coffee and toast and a local dish at the original Rail Cafe, we drove back to Kuala Lumpor and met at TGIF's for lunch with Teresa Kok, a Christian Parliment member who was re-elected to her third term. Richard spoke of what he and the team were doing with Marketplace Leadership Center and Million Leaders Mandate as well as what they are trying to do with externally focused churches and nation building. It was really one of those divine apointments as Teresa talked openly about the needs of the people and how the church could help. She told how as a young school girl, as part of her Catholic education, she and other youth went and lived among the poor of Malaysia. It was there she decided she wanted a career in public service. When we talked about mobilizing cell groups in missional ministry, she said theat 50 such groups could change the city!</div><a href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SC_wq-Cj5sI/AAAAAAAAA-s/aFOsIUFXlS0/s1600-h/IMG_4061.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201640715635123906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SC_wq-Cj5sI/AAAAAAAAA-s/aFOsIUFXlS0/s320/IMG_4061.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>So our days here just get better. Malaysia is in a very unique position in the world. It is one of those countries that is racially, religiously and linguistically diverse that is small enough where believers can really make a kingdom difference for all peoples. And Sam and I feel that the three key leaders (Richard, Simon and Pic See) who will train 2500 leaders around the country in the next few years, are setting the stage for God to do something special in this country.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13583279.post-35187869623453326302008-05-15T05:55:00.004-06:002008-05-15T06:10:08.625-06:00Malaysia Day 4<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SCwnWeCj5iI/AAAAAAAAA9c/DehCE4YdH_M/s1600-h/IMG_3920.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200574936680490530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SCwnWeCj5iI/AAAAAAAAA9c/DehCE4YdH_M/s320/IMG_3920.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Things just get better. The pastors' lunch today in Kuantan was attended by 30 pastors / leaders each eager to hear more about being externally focused. They were excited as they began to envision how they could love and serve their community with good deeds and good news. The team that has brought Sam and me here to Malaysia is an incredible group. I don't think I've ever worked with three leaders with more capacity than these three people--Richard Rajoo, Simon Locke, and Ooi Piek See (Pixie)--all come from extremely successful careers in the business world but find changing lives much more exciting. Each week they drive over a thousand miles to train leaders. They visit every city they work in two times each month. It's no wonder leaders are so responsive to what they do. They are incredibly connected. This evening for dinner we are meeting with the president of a university, a Deputy Director General of Government and the Exectutive Director of a major non-profit organization.<a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SCwnx-Cj5kI/AAAAAAAAA9s/nd11VFjhvCU/s1600-h/IMG_3924.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200575409126893122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SCwnx-Cj5kI/AAAAAAAAA9s/nd11VFjhvCU/s320/IMG_3924.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SCwnjOCj5jI/AAAAAAAAA9k/CacBuoVgPPI/s1600-h/IMG_3932.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200575155723822642" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_7PSunauMqew/SCwnjOCj5jI/AAAAAAAAA9k/CacBuoVgPPI/s320/IMG_3932.jpg" border="0" /></a></div>Eric Swansonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08929833755956871960noreply@blogger.com0